The present invention relates to rotatable tooling, including wrenches, and more particularly relates to a socket mounting arrangement to secure a wrench socket or drive shaft adapter to a shaft having a selectively configured end section, such as square where the socket or other tool has a cooperative opening shaped aperture to receive the shaft end. Heretofore, sockets, adapters and other tools have been attached directly to the shaft end by various means. The purpose of the attachment is to prevent the escape of the socket or tool from the shaft when the tool is in use. More particularly, devices within the scope of the present invention are particularly useful for attachment of various tools to shaft members driven by, for example, hand or air motors.
The prior art teaches various means for attaching a tool or adapter to the shaft and more particularly for using the "dimple" provided inside the recess of the tool. Prior art methods for attachment of the tool or shaft adapter to the shaft have proven less than entirely effective for various reasons. One arrangement for attaching a tool to a shaft is shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,293 where a pin is provided for insertion into a recess in the shaft to which the tool is secured. Another arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,682 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,107. Various other arrangements are known which utilize retainer pins but in these cases the retainer pins usually extend through an aperture in the shaft where the pin and the aperture must be in specific alignment. On the contrary, devices within the scope of the present invention allow the adapter or tool to be easily secured to the shaft. Specific orientation of a pin and aperture is not required thus facilitating location of the tool or adapter on the shaft and saving time and effort.
The prior art also includes other arrangements for securing a tool or adapter to a shaft. One example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,453, Farley, which teaches an elastomeric ring having a leg which is inserted through an aperture in the cooperative socket member and is received in an aperture in the shaft member which again requires specific alignment. U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,160 teaches a socket retaining assembly including a pin which is received through an aperture in the socket and spindle.
No prior art teaching is known which provides arrangements within the scope of the present invention.